These Cheesy Chicken Cilantro Pesto Flautas are SO darn easy and delicious. These baked flautas reheat nicely making them great to reheat the next day.

This time of year is my favorite. On my days off from work you’ll most likely find me/us grilling, sippin’ on lime beers and more times than not the music is on and so are the flip flops. And if we aren’t grilling… we’re having Mexican.

TRUTH: I always have cilantro, limes and pepper jack cheese in the house just in case I’m jones-ing for a little Mexican grub. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I’m a little addicted to these flautas and that I may have put down 3 or 6 of these in ONE sitting. I just love Mexican food and I never know when to stop. I’m sure it’s because Mexican food is usually so simple, fresh and uh-duh deeelicious… yup, I’m positive that’s why.

After making a batch of cilantro pesto, the wheels where turning on what I should actually do with it. One Friday went out to our favorite Mexican restaurant and my eyes spied flautas on the menu. Even though I never stray from the fish tacos, I knew exactly what I was going to make. Flautas. Traditionally flautas are fried {which I’m pretty sure why they are so incredibly delicious} but I have this deep rooted fear of deep frying and thought I would play it safe and bake them. You know, to make them healthy. Never mind the copious amounts of cheese… that’s just for calcium right?

So here is yet another Mexican inspired recipe… I hope you don’t mind because obviously we’re still celebrating Cinco de Mayo in our house.

What I love about these baked flautas is that they double as an easy dinner or can be whipped up in a pinch for an app at any shin-dig. There are many different options for filling these flautas; beef, Monterey Jack cheese… or make them vegetarian by stuffing them with black bean and corn salsa or keep it simple and just load them with a collaboration of different cheeses.

Feel free to prepare the chicken however you like. But a little olive oil, cumin and your favorite all purpose seasoning is pretty much all you need.

Toss them around until coated and they’re good to go.

Here’s where you could grill them… or do a quick sear and then pop them in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.

Once cooked, let the chicken cool before chopping them up into small chunks.

Remember this cilantro pesto… yeah the one I promised you I could eat it plain with a spoon. It’s so unbelievably yummy.

Spoon a little of the pesto into the center of a small 8 inch flour tortilla and spread it out. Sprinkle it with some of the chicken, top with a little {or a lot… let’s be real} and roll into a cigar like shape.

Place the pre-flautas, seam-side down on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes until crispy and golden brown.

Really it’s just that easy. The flour tortilla gets extremely crunch while the cheese melts all over the chicken and then the pesto brightens it all up and adds a ton of flavor and of course there’s the cheese. They’re even still crispy and delicious the next day making the perfect leftovers for lunch boxes.

Make sure you get an array of goodies to dip these in {I only had guac} and start shoveling.

Enjoy! And if you give this Chicken Cilantro Pesto Flautas recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Bookmarked this!! This is totally our style and our favorite flavors!!! Cant wait to make it.. Might wait a few weeks though cause we are leaving to Paris on Wednesday, so we are in total vacation mode already!

What a fantastic recipe. I love Mexican food too. I could seriously eat it all the time. I’m not ashamed to admit that. I also LOVE Cilantro. That is one herb that always lives in my fridge. I should really grow it with the amount I use it in every day cooking. When people tell me they think it “tastes like cardboard” I give them the most horrified look imaginable lol.

I am also a Mexican food lover! I love its chili delicious taste which makes eating very much exciting. These baked floutas look so delicious and very easy to do. I will make these on the weekend. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂